Escape from Zion

Chapter 2

"LET GO OF MY SKIRT!"

"Be quiet Amani. Is this what your father and I worked so hard for? Slaving night and day in some foreign land so you can prance around in underwear in front of strangers?"

"What on Earth are you talking about?! Nothing you ever say makes any sense!!!"

"Yes that's right I don't make any sense. I clothed you, fed you, and I'm the one that doesn't make sense."

"I didn't even mean it like that-"

"Oh no you never mean anything do you? Her highness doesn't think its worth her time talking to us lowly subjects. I'll just get out of your way and try not to bother you too much. But I'm begging you, your father and I have a certain name in this community. People *know* us so you cannot do as you please. Wait until you get your own house and then you can be free as you like and I promise we'll all leave you alone. Alright?!"

Amma's face was so full of rage it trembled a little, struggling to contain it. She took the the offending skirt, a denim mini-skirt with pink orchids embroidered on the left side and thundered off. Amani stood still for a moment, in the middle of her room, staring at the space beyond the open door. She looked at the ironing board her mum had left in the hallway for a moment, she hadn't noticed the little burn on the side, it was a sad, curling line of brown in a sea of floral pink annd white. Slowly she closed the door, curled up into a fetal position in her bed, and cried quietly.

In her room, Sarah tentatively took out one of her earphones. She paused for a moment, then took them out altogether and continued typing away at her desk. Her face unexpressive and a little tired. She could hear Amma moving things and walking around far too loudly than needed. Amani would have helped her had Amma just waited till the end of the day to take that skirt. But her mother didn't wait. That which could be done tomorrow could be done today and that which could be done today should have been done yesterday. Now she would do all the weekend cleaning and cooking by herself and then complain that no one helped her. Sarah sighed. She slammed the laptop down and headed downstairs.

"Hey Amma, you need me to do anything?"

"Yes. These onions need to be chopped." Amma handed her a plastic bag for the waste and indicated towards a kitchen knife resting on a wooden chopping board. "Can you believe her? And now shes gone back into her burrow for the day so there'll be no more of her. It always starts out 'oh I'll help you, I'll do it, oh you never ask for help' and now look. Where is she? The arrogance... I don't understand where she gets it from"

"Amma she's upset, it's not like she's doing this so she doesn't have to help you."

"Well of course she is. She can't be so upset that she can't even do some laundry and chop some onions! She just doesn't want to be around me. I'm not supposed to speak and I should just let her do as she likes that's it isn't it."

"Amma-"

"Either that or she's lazy. Do you know when we were little, my siblings and I had to go to mass in the morning, then school, then come back, do all our chores, then homework-"

"Amma she's not like you. Some people find it difficult-"

"It's only difficult for her because she's decided its difficult. It's not like I'm asking her to fetch water in a bucket on her head am I?"

"Alright Amma." Sarah knew when to stop. And she was tired now. It was like playing a game of squash except the brick wall was somehow scoring all the points and she was a panting heap running all over the place.